What's The Real Cost is designed by Regence to spark discussion on understanding health care costs.

Myth vs. Facts


Explore health care myths and facts, statistics, and other news and information. Staying informed with the latest health care topics will help you make a positive change for you and your community.


What They're Saying...

Killroy71 commented on Myth: I've been healthy so my premium should go down.
HAhahahaha....we ALL pay for the uninsured, just like everything we buy in the store covered the cost of the stuff that got shoplifted...it's called cost-shifting and everybody does it. Even if you went without insurance and paid cash to the doctor and hospital, they would build that cost into what they charge you. That's why everybody needs coverage -- not that it will be cheaper, it won't but at least people will get care they need, hopefully.
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Killroy71 commented on Myth: Remove profits and you remove the problem.
so, it looks like the profits of everybody else, drug makers, doctors, hospitals, etc, are rolled up into the premium cost, ..the profits of everybody else are camoflaged by the insurance premium and the insurers get the flack, not the people making the really big bucks...every body loves their doctor and hates insurance...ever try finding a doctor if you DON\'T have insurance? they are sparse....guess they want to get paid, too.
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Katie Rafael commented on Myth: Insurers only insure the healthy.
This is the best part of the new healthcare bill. Companies wont be able to deny coverage...or will they, I'm still confused
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Laura Marshall says:

I think they can't now

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Jerry Manzoni commented on Myth: A single payer system would solve it.
There are so many conflicting reports about Medicare, hard to know what's true and what isn't.
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Killroy71 says:

agreed -- here's a different link...this one has a chart! http://www.naifa.org/advocacy/health/documents/Comparing_HealthCare_Admin_Costs.pdf

killroy71 says:

ok, a lot of charts, but if you really want to understand the whole admin cost thing better, this info is from the congressional budget office

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Jerry Manzoni commented on Myth: Years of premiums should cover my costs.
Wow. I can't believe that cost is per year!
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Anonymous commented on Myth: Years of premiums should cover my costs.
But isn't this the whole idea of insurance, you pay a little over time in case something bad happens and you don't go broke. We need to think of health insurance like we do other forms of insurance (car, home, life etc).
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anonymous says:

Where your rates go up just for using it once in 25 years and a separate deductible for each claim?

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